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Thursday, July 27, 2017

Police arrested a man Wednesday who may be connected to the July 20 shooting death of a 4-year-old boy in San Antonio's east side.

Charles Lee Bethany was initially arrested for possessing more than 28 grams of cocaine with intent to sell. This arrest came after San Antonio Police Department officials searched his east side house, finding around 56 grams of cocaine powder and 56 grams of crack cocaine.

According to an affidavit filed by an FBI officer Thursday morning, Bethany's house is already linked to a sweeping investigation into the drive-by shooting that left 4-year-old De-Earlvion Whitley dead and his mother, Cyntwanisha, wounded. The night of Whitley's shooting, a surveillance video recorded several people holding what appear to be a pistol and a rifle leaving Bethany's J St. house and driving away — 12 minutes before Whitley was shot on Hub St., a 4-minute-drive from Bethany's place. The video shows that same car returning to Bethany's house "moments after" the shooting. It's unknown if Bethany was actually in the car that left his house that evening, but the house was undeniably his.

In his affidavit, FBI officer Cruz Esquivel said he believed Whitley was the accidental victim of retribution bullets from a group Bethany associates with — a group that was targeted by a drive-by shooting the day before.

While Bethany has been placed in federal custody, the investigation in Whitley's death is still ongoing, said Daryl Fields, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office.